This heartwarming Powerball winner story is about a player who played in his dad’s memory and ended up being a big Powerball prize winner.
Powerball players subscribe to all kinds of beliefs, fun rituals for number selection, and quirky pre and post-drawing routines. It’s part of what makes the game so memorable and appealing. Whether you’re choosing special birthdates or you’re purchasing your tickets on a particular schedule, there’s always something hopeful and exciting about “how” you play. In this Powerball winner story, we’ll take a look at a heartwarming “how” behind one Iowa man’s Powerball gameplay. It turned out to be good luck and, as he believes, a blessing from his recently passed father, earning him $100,000.
Thomas O’Hollearn purchased his Powerball tickets at the local Hy-Vee supermarket in West Des Moines, IA, an authorized Powerball retail outlet. Although, on this particular day, he was thinking about his father. Still saddened by his dad’s passing just three weeks earlier, Thomas stood in line. He arrived at the counter and used the Quick Pick feature, allowing the computer to choose numbers for him. And to this day, Thomas believes his dad was “with him” that day, in spirit.
Thomas checked his ticket against that night’s drawing the following morning. And when he looked at his Powerball tickets to compare the numbers, he got a big surprise. His ticket matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball, netting him a cool $100,000. “I couldn’t believe it!” he said. Thomas immediately phoned his mother, brother, and son about the big news. He later told lottery officials that he “thought maybe it [the Powerball win] was a blessing from my dad.”
Thomas’s story resonates with so many hopeful Powerball players across the country. For many, playing Powerball inspires hope, tradition, and sometimes even honors loved ones. Some players play their parents’ wedding anniversary, lucky jersey numbers, or digits from their childhood addresses. For others, it’s as simple as buying a ticket every Friday after work or only purchasing when they “feel something.”
While the odds of winning big in Powerball are famously long, stories like Thomas’s remind us that it’s not always just about the money. The ritual itself can be filled with meaning. The thrill of possibility, the sense of connection to someone special, and the joyful surprise when the numbers align, these are what keep people coming back week after week.
Thomas used Quick Pick, which is the most common way players choose numbers. In fact, according to lottery officials, about 70–80% of Powerball players used Quick Pick. For those who believe in fate or signs from the universe, the randomness of Quick Pick still feels guided, especially in cases like Thomas’s, where he believes his late father had a hand in the outcome.
Of course, many others remain devoted to their personally chosen numbers. And that’s the beauty of the game. There’s no “right” way to play. Whether you leave it up to chance or have a carefully crafted number combo you’ve used for decades, it’s the ritual that makes the experience so powerful.
After claiming his prize, Thomas told reporters he planned to use some of the money to help his family and save the rest. While he didn’t walk away with millions, the $100,000 win was life-changing nonetheless and deeply emotional. He said the timing of it, the way it happened, and the memory of his dad made the win far more meaningful than the dollar amount.
“It just felt like he was watching over me,” Thomas said.